One of Hyla’s founders, Manvel Schauffler, (always known as “Schauff”) died in January at the age of 88 in Portland.

In Paul Carroll’s words, “Schauff devoted his life to schools, and especially middle schools. He was the head of Catlin Gabel School from 1967 – 1980, and then taught for 10 years at The Bush School in its middle school. He then threw himself into the effort to start Hyla. He was the rock we relied on, the dynamo who lead us forward, and the distinguished expert who gave us credibility. We owe so much to him here at Hyla as we go through each year. Valuing a human relations course for middle schoolers came through him, and in fact he taught such a course at Bush. Our being invited to the Catlin track meet every year is because he was involved with Hyla and was one of those at Catlin who championed middle school track. In fact, our focus on track at the middle school level comes from him. Schauff was 68 when this school started, and even years later, he would cook pancakes for the Hyla Ultimate Frisbee team when they played on weekends in Seattle. Our annual Manvel Schauffler Award for Sportsmanship recognizes the value he put on “taking care of each other,” which he always felt was a key component of a successful middle school. Schauff believed in people and he has touched the lives of so many in the Pacific Northwest, in the nation, and even internationally.”

History matters at Hyla. Although many of you did not know Schauff, he has influenced your children profoundly. We are thankful for his legacy. We will miss him, but know in our hearts that he lives on in this school. The photo below is of Schauff with Lynn Agnew, who worked at Hyla until her retirement in 2009.